Contributor · Snorkels with corrected vision — prescription mask and contacts
Greg has tried most of the ways to see clearly underwater when you need glasses on land — contacts, a prescription mask, and the various stopgaps in between. He now mostly uses the mask. He snorkels on holiday rather than for a living, which is the position most readers of these guides are in too.
SnorkelingTutorial
Plenty of people snorkel in contact lenses and nothing goes wrong. The official guidance is stricter than that, and worth reading before your trip. Here is what the FDA and CDC say, which lenses to wear, and the one habit that keeps a lens in your eye.
Series: Snorkeling with glasses
SnorkelingTutorial
Stock mask lenses correct sphere only. They leave astigmatism exactly where it was, whatever the cylinder column on your prescription says. Here are the ranges premade lenses cover, the one number that decides whether you need custom lenses, and what those cost.
Series: Snorkeling with glasses
SnorkelingProduct
Nearly every mask sold as a prescription snorkel mask ships with clear lenses and sells the correction separately. Here is what each listing actually includes, what the lenses add, which prescriptions each route can handle, and when to buy from a dive shop instead.
Series: Snorkeling with glasses
SnorkelingTutorial
Glasses do not work under a snorkel mask. Here are the alternatives that do, from contact lenses and natural magnification to prescription masks and pop-in lenses.
Series: Snorkeling with glasses
